Exhibitions
Kōgei and the Future: the 22nd Okada Mokichi Award
2022.10.07(Fri) - 2022.10.25(Tue)
Overview
The Okada Mokichi Award celebrates the thriving kōgei creation in Japan by recognizing leading artisans and creators of modern kōgei crafts. This 22nd Award has invited to join our panel of judges experts and researchers who engage in creative work in the forefront of the Japanese art society, who shortlisted eight promising young creators. After thorough deliberations, Shiroma Eiichi was selected for the Grand Prix, for his Ryukyu bingata textile. This exhibition presents the work of these 8 creators to showcase their creativity for the future of kōgei.
Grand Prix
Kimono of Ryukyu bingata “Nami no uta” (Melody of waves), Shiroma Eiichi, 2021
The Shiromas are one of the three families that operated bingata production under the patronage of the Ryukyu Kingdom. In his 20s, Eiichi made a voyage through Southeast Asia and rediscovered his national identity in the bingata textile. Today, he continues the family tradition as the 16th generation practitioner, exploring new possibilities with the art. He introduces new motifs inspired by the marine wildlife of Okinawa into his designs while faithfully perpetuating the traditional indigo stencil dye technique known as aigata.
| Shiroma Eiichi | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Born in Naha, Okinawa as a first son of Shiroma Eijun, the 15th master of the Shiroma Bingata Kobo | |
| 2003 | Spent two years in Special Region of Yogyakarta to learn Batik | |
| 2011 | Grand prix at the 62nd OKITEN Finalist at the 58th Japan Traditional Art Exhibition |
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| 2012 | Fukuoka Mayor Award at the 47th West-Japan Traditional Art Exhibition | |
| 2014 | Commendation Award at the 49th West-Japan Traditional Art Exhibition | |
| 2015 | Award for promising new talent at the 62nd Japan Traditional Art Exhibition; recommended for Japan Kōgei Association membership | |
| 2021 | Okinawa Times Award at the 55th West-Japan Traditional Art Exhibition | |
| Present | The 16th master practitioner and representative of the Shiroma Bingata Kobo Member of the Japan Kōgei Association Judge panel for the dye section of the OKITEN Lecturer at the Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts Lecturer at the Okinawa University |
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Other participants of the Okada Mokichi Award
Celadon low jar “Suiten Hofutsu” (Disappearing horizon), Tsugane Hitomu, 2021
| Tsugane Hitomu | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Born in Kumamoto prefecture | |
| 1993 | Completed the training on pottery at the Arita College of Ceramics | |
| 2003 | Expedition to classical Song kilns in China | |
| 2005 | Finalist at the 52nd Japan Traditional Art Exhibition (won the same award 17 times in total) | |
| 2007 | Celadon Jar purchased by the Imperial Household Agency | |
| 2010 | Japan Kōgei Association Award at the 45th West-Japan Traditional Art Exhibition (won the same award 9 times in total) | |
| 2011 | Inspection trip to Southern Song official kilns and Xiuneisi kiln | |
| 2014 | Excellence prize at the Modern Ceramics for Tea Exhibition TOKI Oribe Exhibition CELADON NOW (The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, etc.) |
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| 2020 | Successful candidate in relation to the Project to relocate the National Crafts Museum to Ishikawa (body of work purchased) Exhibition Blue or While?—Celadon, White Porcelain, and Bluish-white Porcelain (at the Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum) |
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| 2021 | Commendation Award, the 9th Kikuchi Biennale | |
| 2022 | Ceramics of the Past and of the Future: The Timelessness of Traditional Japanese Craft Arts (at the Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art, etc.) | |
White earthenware “DAI”, Wada Akira, 2017
| Wada Akira | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Born in Chiba prefecture | |
| 2001 | Graduated from Bunka Gakuin and joined Uwataki Katsuji’s atelier | |
| 2005 | Became independent and gained the Japan Kōgei Association membership | |
| 2007 | Travel to France on Budding Artists Training Program by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan (public collection) Imperial Household Agency, Japan Foundation, Ise Cultural Foundation Toki City, Chiba City, National Crafts Museum, Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum, Tomo Museum of Art Paramita Museum, Takashimaya Archives Cincinnati Art Museum (USA) Minneapolis Institute of Art (USA) Allen Memorial Art Museum (USA) MINKA-Museo de Arte Moderno La Casa de Japon (Argentina) |
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Box in kantshitsu “Nagareru” (Flux), Okui Mina, 2017
| Okui Mina | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Born in Kanagawa prefecture | |
| 1992 | Graduated from the Tokyo Woman's Christian University | |
| 1999 | First-time finalist at the 17th Japan Traditional Lacquer Art Exhibition | |
| 2001 | Completed the urushi application course at the Ishikawa Prefectural Institute for Wajima Shitsugei Technique Joined Murose Kazumi for apprenticeship (until 2009) |
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| 2003 | First-time finalist at the 50th Japan Traditional Art Exhibition | |
| 2006 | Japan Kōgei Association Award at the 46th Traditional Art New Works Exhibition Governor of Metropolitan Tokyo Award at the 53rd Japan Traditional Art Exhibition |
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| 2010 | The 50th Special Award at the 50th East-Japan Traditional Art Exhibition | |
| 2012 | Commendation Award at the 52nd East-Japan Traditional Art Exhibition | |
| 2017 | Japan Kōgei Association President Award at the 64th Japan Traditional Art Exhibition | |
| 2020 | Decoration of a Medal with Purple Ribbon | |
| Present | Presently a formal member of the Japan Kōgei Association | |
Plate in kanshitsu “Nagare” (Stream), Takayama Naoya, 2021
| Takayama Naoya | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Born in Hiroshima prefecture | |
| 2003 | Joined Ōtsuka Mamoru, a Kyoto-based urushi artisan, to acquire the skills in roironuri | |
| 2019 | Became active as an urushi artist Commendation Award in the product sector of the 16th Hiroshima Good Design Awards |
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| 2020 | The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Award at the Japan’s Traditional Craft Competition 2020 Governor of Hiroshima Award at the 63rd Japan Traditional Art Exhibition by Chugoku Branch |
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| 2021 | Asahi Shimbun Award at the 38th Japan Traditional Lacquer Art Exhibition Sanyo Shimbun Award at the 64th Japan Traditional Art Exhibition by Chugoku Branch Finalist at the 68th Japan Traditional Art Exhibition |
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| 2022 | Governor of Tottori Award at the 65th Japan Traditional Art Exhibition by Chugoku Branch Recognized in the Local brand program of Hiroshima as “Hiroshima Shitsugei” |
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Box with honeycomb design in silver inlay, Shintani Hitomi, 2021
| Shintani Hitomi | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Born in Hiroshima prefecture | |
| 2010 | Completed studies at the Faculty of Art and Design, the University of Toyama | |
| 2012 | Joined Living National Treasure Kitamura Shosai for apprenticeship | |
| 2014 | Establish herself as an independent artist Opened her own atelier in Nara | |
| 2015 | First-time finalist at the 62nd Japan Traditional Art Exhibition | |
| 2020 | Temporary Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Art and Design, the University of Toyama Relocated to Toyama |
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| 2018 | Prince Takamatsu Memorial Award at the 65th Japan Traditional Art Exhibition | |
| 2021 | Asahi Shimbun Award at the 68th Japan Traditional Art Exhibition | |
Hammered and twisted hexagon metal water container, Sako Ryuhei, 2021
| Sako Ryuhei | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Born in Okayama prefecture | |
| 1999 | Completed studies in design and applied arts at the Hiroshima City University | |
| 2002 | MFA in Design and Applied Art, Graduate School of the Hiroshima City University | |
| 2003 | Governor of Metropolitan Tokyo Award at the 50th Japan Traditional Art Exhibition | |
| 2008 | Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Award at the 37th Traditional Crafts Japan Metalwork Exhibition | |
| 2016 | Grand Award at the 32nd Tansuio Awards of the Sato Foundation | |
| 2018 | Loweve Craft Prize 2018 (The Design Museum, UK) Mister Der Moderne (Handwerksmesse Munchen, Germany) |
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| 2020 | Kogei 2020 - The Art of Crafrting Beauty from Nature (Tokyo National Museum) | |
| 2021 | Japan: A History of Style (Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA) | |
| 2022 | What Colour is Metal? (Dublin Castle, Ireland) | |
Glass vessel designed in kirikane “Kasasagi no hashi” (Magpie bridge), Yamamoto Akane, 2020
| Yamamoto Akane | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Born in Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture | |
| 2001 | Completed the Nihonga course at the Kyoto City University of Arts | |
| 2011 | Completed studies in glass making at the Toyam City Institute of Glass Art | |
| 2013 | Kyoto City New Artist Award | |
| 2014 | NHK Chairman Prize at the 61st Japan Traditional Art Exhibition | |
| 2015 | Special award of Traditional Japanese Culture Pola Award | |
| 2016 | Honorable mention at the Kyoto Prefecture Cultural Awards | |
| 2019 | The 21st Okada Mokichi Award Exhibition (MOA Museum of Art) | |
| 2020 | The 33rd Kyoto Fine Arts Culture Award Special planed Contemporary Japanese Crafts: Reinterpretation, Exquisite Craftsmanship, and Aesthetic Exploration (Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art) Elegant luster of gold - Decoration of Kirikane technique (Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Traditional Art) |
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| 2021 | The first Classics Day Prize Solo exhibition: Akane Yamamoto−the decade of the Kirikane Glass (Art Gallery, Sogo Yokohama) Contemporary women artists of Japan: six stories (The British Museum, UK) |
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| Board of judges | |
|---|---|
| Ogasawara Sae | (Professor emeritus, Japan Women’s University) |
| Kawai Masatomo | (Art historian, professor emeritus, Keio University) |
| Tanaka Hidetoshi | (Honorary director, National Crafts Museum) |
| Murose Kazumi | (Urushi artist, Living National Treasure, Vice President of Japan Kōgei Association) |
| Uchida Tokugo | (Director, MOA Museum of Art) |
| Selection committee | |
|---|---|
| Oyama Yuzuruha | (Chief curator, Tokyo National Museum) |
| Karasawa Masahiro | (Director, National Crafts Museum) |
| Kurokawa Hiroko | (Director, University Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts) |
| Kondo Toyoko | (Lecturer, Tokyo University of the Arts) |
| Sasaki Masanao | (Special Director, Gunma Museum of Art, Tatebayashi) |
| Harada Kazutoshi | (Director, Fukuyama Museum of Art) |
| Monika Bincsik | (Associate curator of Aian Arts, Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA) |
| Yashiro Katsuya | (Chief curator, MOA Museum of Art) |